Electric connector



May 23, 1939- M. M. KAUFFMAN y A2,159,660

` ELECTRIC CONNECTOR original Filed March 31, 1936 74 HA RR o, K/EcH Fos T5 /J 73 A TToR/VEKS lift) tachment, filed March 31, 1936.

- UNITED `STATI:

Patented May 23, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Milton M. Kauffman,

Los Angeles, Calif.

y original applicati@ March s1, 1936, serial No.

71,841." Divided and this- 1937, Serial No. 134,746

application April `3,

s claims. (ci. 17a-facs) My invention .relates in general .to means for insulating electric devices from their supports and for connecting such electric devices to` an The inventionhas utility in the insulation and `connection of various types of electric devices,

but in View of thefact that its greatest use will probably be inconjunction with` electric display devices, such as neon signs, the following disclo-` I the terminals of the tubes.

, sure of the invention `will be, for `the purpose of .l simplicity, limited to the use of the ,invention as porting` structure is `generally employedl having :t a front wall which maybe sheet metal and adja- `cent to which the gas `filled glow tubes vare secured. `The tubes aresupported in spaced relation to the `front face of the wall by suitable brackets or posts.

c It is an object of the invention to provide means lenabling the connection of `electric conductors to the end of the tubes in such a manner that such connection will not be exposed.

It is afurther object of the invention to vprovide an electric connector and insulator for supporting the same, such electric connector being of. simple form and being adapted to be secured to the insulator without the` use of `tools and having a terminal to which a feed wire maybe connected and also havinga contacting memberfor `engaging Van electric device to whichthe electric .current is to be fed. L `It.isanotlfierobject. of my invention to provi-de .an insulator of `tubular character-adapted vto re- .ceivethe rearwardly bent `end of a glow tube, :the Vinsulator having electric connecting means, lsup- `"ported`thereby through which electric connection "with the electrode at the endof :the tube `is made such a manner that no stresses are applied to 'fthe tube which mighttend :to breakthe same,

ffature changes` will not result in brealring the glow tube.

`Itis a further objctof fthe invention to `pro- `the device showninyFig. 1.

. opening 32.

vide `the electric connecting means supported by the insulator with a terminalto which an electric lead maybe directly attached, thus obviating the necessity of providing separate supporting and attaching` means for the lead. f 5 It is another object of the invention to )provide a tubular insulator adapted` to extend through a supporting wall and to receive the end of a glow tube, and a connecting means mounted 0n the insulator in a novel manner, so that the tube ex.- 110 tends entirelythrough the insulator and contacts the connecting means at a point beyond theend of the insulator whereby snow, rain or vdirt collecting within the tubular insulator will not `tend to cause short-circuitng between the connecting .15 means and the `wall supporting the insulator.

. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident throughout the :following part `of the specification.

Referring .tothe drawing, which is for il1l120 trative purposes only,

Fie. 1 is a perspective view showing apreferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through Fig. 3 ris an end View, toan enlarged scale, of the electric connector embodyingthe features of my invention,this View being partly sectioned.

`In the foi-rn of the invention shown in the drawing, the sign `supporting structure may in-eo clude as a part of the front well thereof a `metal wa11;30. ,metal wall `3,0 will, in the ordinary practice ofthe invention, consistof a thinmetal sheet, but, as will be evident from the `following part of the specification, the wall may be o f 4anygf35 desired thickness. The wall 3 0 h as a circular An `insulator member 3.4 is provided which .is preferably of tubular form, as shown in Figs. 1 and ,2, .and may be molded or formed of any known insulating material selected in ali-.40 cordance with :the dielectric characteristics required of the insulator, which of course will vbe determined in accordance with the voltages to be insulated against. 'Ihe insulator member 34 has a front end.3;6 V.of such external shape thatit` `45 will fit into the opening 432 of the wall 30. ln the general use of the invention, the end .36 prefer-` ably is of suiiicient length to extend entirely through thewall 30 and project outwardly `a substantial distance from Vthe front face of` the 50 wall 311, as shown in Fig. 2, for a purpose which willhereinafter be brought forth. However, it

`is not essential in all instances that the .end 36 project entirely through` .a wall. Adjacent the end 36, theinsulator member 34 is provided with 55 ltached, as shown in Fig. 1.

face of the supporting wall. The electric lead wire of the energizing circuit is then connected for support to one of these posts, and another wire is carried from the post to the electrode fitting at the end of the neon tube. The electric connecting means 44 of my invention provides a simple, practical means of making connection between the lead wire of the energizing Vcircuit and the electrode fitting of the tube without the useof separate terminal posts such as just referred to. The electric connecting means 44, as

shown in the drawing, comprises a member 45 adapted to be clamped on the cylindrical portion or boss 46 constituting the rearward end of the insulator member 34. The member 45 carries a terminal 41, preferably of the spring yclip type, to which an electric wire 48 may be directly at- The member 45 also carries a contacting or connecting member 49 adapted to engage the metal electrode iitting t at the extremity of the end 4I of a neon tube 42 which is extended rearwardly into the opening or bore 43 of the tubular insulator 34, thereby passing through the opening 32 of the wall but being insulated therefrom. The member 45 preferably consists of a strip of metal which is bendable, or bent, to circular form so that the ends 52 and 53 thereof are brought into close relation. The end 52 is provided with a tongue 54 adapted to pass through a slot 55 in the end 53 when the member 45 is closed around the boss or end 46 of the insulator member 34, whereupon the end of the tongue 54 may be bent rearwardlyso as to hold the member 45 in contracted relation. The member 45 is preferably provided with openings 53 adapted to receive lugs 51 which are formed near the end of the insulator member 34. The lugs 51 and the openings 55 provide a means of interengagement between the boss 45 and the electric connector which will prevent removal of the electric connector from its position on the insulator 34 unless the tongue 54 is disengaged from the opening 55 and the member 45 sprung open to such diameter that the lugs 51 may be moved outof the openings 56.

It is a feature of my invention that the contacting or connecting member 49 is adapted to engage the electrode tting of the neon tube 42, in such a manner thatthc high voltage energizing current will be transmitted to the fitting 5I without the application of strains of a character tending to break the neon tube, and inV such a yieldable manner that changes in position of the cooperating parts of the entire Vsign structure will not produce stresses to break the neon tube. As shown in the drawing, the Contact member 49 extends inwardly from the member 45 across the rear end of the insulator. This member 49 is preferably made in the form of a spiral of bronze wire 19 having its outer end 1l connected at two places to the member 45. Two small bridges 12 and 13 are punched inwardly from the wall of the member 45 and the outer end 1l of the wire 10 is passed through these bridges or loops 12 and 13 and there secured either by use of solder or by deforming the bridges 'i2 and 13 by pressure so that they will bear tightly against the wire 10. The spiral contacting member 49 is of resilient character, and the central portion 14 thereof is adapted to bear resiliently against the electrode fitting 5I when the end 4l of the neon tube 42 is moved rearwardly to eX tend through the opening 43 of the insulator member 34. As best shown. in Fig. 2, the contacting member 49 is positioned in relatively spaced relationship with the end of the insulator 34. 'This leaves the entire length of the opening 43 of the insulator member 34 unobstructed, which greatly reduces the tendency for snow, rain, dirt or the like to collect within the opening 43 of the insulator in sufficient quantities to cause a short-circuit between the contacting member 49 and the wall upon which the insulator is mounted. As before stated, the end 35 of the insulator 34 is preferably of sufficient length to project outwardly from the front face of the wall 39'for the reason that this assists in preventing short-circuiting between the contacting member 49 and the wall 3!) through an accumulation of snow or dirt in the interior of the insulator 34. The open construction of my device as a result of the relative spacing of the contacting member 49 from the end of the insulator 34, however, is such that there is little tendency for snow or dirt to collect within the insulator so that even though the insulator is mounted in a Wall of such thickness that the end 35 does not project entirely therethrough, short-circuiting between the contacting member 49 and the wall is unlikely.

If the end 4l of the neon tube 42 is short, the central portion 14 of the contacting member 49 may be bent or deformed in the direction of the axis of the insulator member 34 so as to extend inwardly of the member 34 to engage the tting `5l without obstructing the opening 43 surrounding the fitting 5I and the end 4 l. of the neon tube.

'If the end 4l should be longer than is shown in Figs. l and 2, the electrode fitting 5l will merely deflect the central portion of the member 49 rearwardly or leftwardly so that contact is made without producing stresses which might reak the neon tube.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in simple practical form, it should be clear that certain parts or elements thereof are representative of other parts, elements, or mechanisms which may be used in substantially the same manner to accomplish substantially the same results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims,

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described for providing electrical connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall, said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator being open at both ends and being adapted for mounting in said wall aperture; and an electric connecting means comprising a ring embracing said insulator, a terminal on said ring outside of said insulator for connecting an electric feed conductor, and a contacting memberv across the opening through said insulator consisting of a spiral of metal having its outer Vend connected to said ring.

2. A device of the character described for providing electrical connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall,`said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to re- LTI ceive a portion of said electric means, said insulator being open at both ends and being adapted for mounting in said wall with the forward end of the insulator extending through said aperture; and an electric connecting means comprising a ring surrounding said tubular insulator, a terminal on said ring for connection with an electric feed conductor, and a yielding contact member connected with said ring and extending `across the rear open end of said insulator in spaced relationship therewith.

3. A device of the character described for providing electrical connection with an electric `"means at an aperture in a wall, said device inclamping said strip on said insulator, a terminal on said strip to which an electric feed conneccluding: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator being open at both ends and being adapted for mountinglin said wall aperture; and an electric connecting means mounted on said insulator, said connecting means comprising a strip fitting around said insulator, means releasably connecting the ends of said strip together thereby tor may be connected, and a contacting member carried by said strip and extending inwardly across the opening of said insulator.

4. A device of the character described for pro- 'viding electrical connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall, said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator being open at both ends and being adapted for mounting in said wall aperture; a

ring member releasably embracing said insu'- lator at one end thereof a terminal on said ring member outside of said insulator for connection with an electric feed conductor; and a contact member mounted on said ring member and extending inwardly across the opening of the insulator.

, 5. A device of the character described for providing electrical connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall, said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator being open at both ends and being adapted` for mounting in said wall aperture; and an `electric connecting means mounted on said insulator, said connecting means comprising a strip Y in ring form contracted around said insulator,

said insulator and said strip being so formed as to provide nterengagement against relative axial movement therebetween, a terminal on said strip to which an electric feed conductor may be connected, and a contact member carried by said strip and disposed across the opening of said insulator.

6. A device of the character described for providing electrical connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall, said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator being open at both ends and being adapted for mounting in said wall aperture; a ring member encircling said insulator, said insulator and ring member being so formed as to provide releasable interengagement between them for preventing axial movement of the ring member relative to the insulator; a terminal on said ring member to which an electric feed conductor may be connected to energize the ring member; and a spiral contact member having its outer end connected to said ring member, said spiral contact member being disposed across the opening through said insulator.

7. A device of the character described forl providing electrical' connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall, said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator having a peripheral projection; a ring member releasably embracing said insulator, said ring being in engagement with said peripheral projection from opposite sides thereof to prevent relative axial movement between the ring member and insulator; a terminal carried by said ring member for connecting an electric feed conductor therewith; and a contact member carried by said ring member, said contact member extending inwardly across the opening through the insulator.

8. A device of the character described for providing electrical connection with an electric means at an aperture in a wall, said device including: a hollow insulator dimensioned to receive a portion of said electric means, said insulator having a peripheral projection; a ring member releasably embracing said insulator in positive engagement with said peripheral projection to prevent axial movement. of the ring relative to the insulator; a terminal carried by said ring member for connecting an electric feed conductor therewith; and a spiral contact member disposed across the opening through said insulator, the outer end of said spiral contact member being connected to said ring member. 

